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There is a Laser way to treat severe gum disease without cutting or stitches
Introducing Laser Periodontal Therapy™

Finally, there’s good news for those of you who suffer from gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis). We now offer an exciting laser based technique for treatment of periodontal disease called Laser Periodontal Therapy™.

Through the use of the Millennium Dental Technologies, Inc., PerioLase Laser, designed especially for Laser Periodontal Therapy™, we can treat your moderate to severe gum disease and you can quickly return to your normal routine!

There’s no incision (scalpel) and no stitches (sutures). You heal naturally with full retention of your gums.

If you suffer from tender, red, swollen, or bleeding gums, call us today for an appointment to evaluate your condition.

It is very obvious that whenever we are faced with the reality of losing a front tooth, the first thing on our minds will be “how is it going to be replaced?” The very notion of leaving the dental office without a front tooth is enough to cause even the most confident people anxiety.

However, this urgency of needing to replace a tooth is not the same when the situation involves a back tooth. It’s because no one sees a back tooth, and there are still teeth around that area that you can still chew on anyway. Why would I spend all this money to replace a tooth no one sees?

But this is a short-sighted view. Your back teeth are immensely important, just like your front teeth. In fact, losing a back tooth will eventually lead to losing more back teeth. This can be due to changes in bite from the drifting of teeth around the space, gum disease, and fracturing fillings on the remaining teeth that may result in crowns and root canals.

Also, losing multiple back teeth will give you no choice but to chew on your front teeth. Chewing on your front teeth can lead to tooth mobility and occlusal trauma that will eventually lead to losing your front teeth. In essence, losing a back tooth can lead you to losing the precious front teeth!

The cost of replacing a back tooth seems a lot at the time – especially when just extracting that tooth will solve your immediate problem. But not doing so will lead to much higher costs in the future to fix the teeth around the space. It is more worthwhile to fix and replace one tooth than it is to repair the damage on multiple teeth as a result of losing one tooth.

So remember, prevention is key. Replace back teeth to maintain your bite and ensure keeping the rest of your teeth for years to come.

It is hard to believe it is almost time for the kids to go back to school. While shopping for clothes and supplies, don’t forget the dental check up. We are offering discounts for kids through September.

1) 10% off general dentistry
2) Reduced down payments and interest free financing for orthodontics.

What is Periodontal Disease?
It’s an infection of the gums. It starts out as plaque, an opaque film on the teeth that hardens to form calculus or tartar. As tartar accumulates, it harbors bacteria which attack the soft tissue around the gums. This early stage of gum disease is called Gingivitis. Symptoms include red swollen gums, bleeding, bad breath and, sometimes, an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Untreated, Gingivitis becomes Periodontitis. At this severe stage, bacteria destroy both the gums and the supporting bone structural Pockets form where teeth are separated from the gums and surrounding bones. Left untreated, Periodontitis eventually results in tooth loss.

What’s the best way to treat Periodontal Disease? LANAP® surgical laser protocol alternative to gum surgery, is a less painful, less traumatic way to treat periodontal disease at any stage.

What’s different about the Research Proven LANAP®?
The LANAP® Procedure uses a special kind of laser called the PerioLase® MVP-7™, invented by two dentists in Cerritos, California. Dr. Robert Gregg and Dr. Delwin McCarthy spent years developing a better way to treat gum disease. The laser fiber, which is only about as wide as three human hairs, is inserted between the gum tissue and your tooth, where it painlessly removes the noxious elements that cause gum disease.
How many treatments will I need? The LANAP® Procedure doesn’t take much time at all — just two two-hour sessions versus eight to ten one-hour sessions with surgery. You don’t have to worry about bleeding, stitches or post-treatment infection, because your gums haven’t been cut.

What about recovery – will I be in pain or need to follow a special routine?
The sense of recovery is immediate, due to the laser’s ability to seal blood vessels, lymphatics and nerve endings. Of course, your tissue needs time to recover, regenerate and heal over the course of time, but after the LANAP® Procedure treatment, you can drive your car, go back to work, or do anything else you like.

I can see how good the LANAP® Procedure is – but is it very expensive and will my insurance cover it?
The good news is, the LANAP® Procedure is about the same as conventional surgery. Schedule a no cost consultation at our Modesto office for a treatment estimate. Let us work with your insurance to determine your options.

Why is the LANAP® procedure better for the treatment of gum disease?

The LANAP® Procedure is about as easy as erasing a blackboard — there’s no cutting and no suturing.

There’s much less discomfort with the LANAP® Protocol than with standard surgery — during and after the procedure.

It takes less time than traditional surgery. All it takes is two 2-hour visits to the dentist and two follow up visits. Traditional surgery requires four sessions of about one hour each, with subsequent visits for suture removal and additional check-ups.

Dr. Wong is pleased to announce mini implants. Mini implants are used primarily to stabilize and support dentures. This offers an affordable solution to traditional more costly implants and uncomfortable or unstable dentures. If you are interested to see if mini implants are an option for you, set up a complimentary consultation with Dr. Wong. 209-577-0777.

To put it simply, neuromuscular dentistry places the jaw into its optimal position, relieving the symptoms associated with TMJ. While traditional dentistry evaluates primarily the teeth, bones, and gums, neuromuscular dentistry works with the hard tissues and the soft tissues, muscles and nerves. Neuromuscular dentists understand that your hard and soft tissues have a complex relationship and work to make that relationship a harmonious one. Neuromuscular dentists understand the necessity for including the power source (muscles) and the controls (nerves), which create the movement, pressures, and function of the mouth.

When the jaw is misaligned, both the hard and soft tissues are affected and many physiological problems can result, such as, headaches, jaw pain, neck and shoulder pain, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, and clicking and popping sounds in the jaw joint.
In a number of cases, these symptoms are the result of TMJ (temporomandibular joint syndrome), also referred to as TMD (temporomandibular joint disorder) or MPD (myofascial pain dysfunction).
TMJ / TMD is a chronic degenerative disease that often takes years to develop. TMJ affects millions of people. People who suffer from TMJ have an imbalance in the jaw-to-skull relationship, which is caused by a bad bite (malocclusion).

Treatment

Neuromuscular Dentistry serves to correct the bite and realign the jaw.
First the dentist determines the optimal position of the jaw by measuring the relaxed position of the head and neck muscles, and then repositions the jaw to achieve those exact measurements.
Malocclusion is relatively easy to correct. Treatment options include adjusting the bite, orthotics, orthodontics, or restoring the teeth to their correct positions.Benefits

Patients of neuromuscular dentistry experience a range of benefits from decreased or eliminated pain and discomfort to better overall health and longer-lasting dental restorations.

I’ve recently had the opportunity to study with Dr. Wong at Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. He’s training with some of the best in the business to learn the latest reasearch and techniques for cosmetic, restorative and neuromuscular dentistry. On our first day in clinic, we had one of our receptionists as our patient. Dr. Wong did an awesome job. There were 10 other dentists with their patients along with team members in our clinical group. I am so proud of our team and the job we do everyday!

I recently received a question about sleep apnea. This patient has tried the CPAP and home remedies and they have not worked. He has seen ads for home fit mouthpieces and also an ad from a sleep specialist dentist who is offering a mouthpiece called Somnomed that will cost about $3100.
What do I think?
Dentists are in an odd position when it comes to treating these issues. We traditionally guarantee our work for the most part. I mean, if we place a filling, you are pretty much assured it will last for years. If it comes out we will replace it at no charge.
This expensive device will likely be helpful. But it is out of the traditional loop and there is not likely any guarantee. I have seen them fail.

This type of appliance functions by moving the lower jaw forward in effort to open and increase the throat volume and allow air to pass with less obstruction. This is a good step towards the problem but cannot be labeled as a sure solution.

My problem with this approach is only based on money. I do not imagine that you have much recourse in case of failure. And failure is a real possibility. Most likely it may improve the situation to some degree. If money isn’t an issue, it’s worth a try.

You will find that there are home-based appliances available on the Internet that will try to move your jaw forward. You could try one at much less cost.

I was asked if I make these Somnomed appliances. I have not done so but I could if it seemed appropriate. Part of the Somnomed protocol is the Cephalometric x ray for the evaluation of airway. This is done to see if you are a good candidate for the device. We have a local x ray lab that takes these images for us. We can also make a different appliance that we call the NOP, nocturnal orthopedic positioner. It is less costly but is also less high tech (not adjustable).

For more than 30 years, Quality Dentists has served the Modesto area and people of all ages with their dental needs. From kid-friendly, family care to full smile designs, we offer the most advanced cosmetic and restorative dentistry. Our emphasis is on prevention so that we can help you maintain optimal dental health throughout your lifetime. Now with Family Dentist Offices in Modesto & Livermore.

As a parent you may be wondering, “What is the ideal age to take my child in for their first dental visit”? This is a tricky question to answer because every child is different, they all grow at their own rate and have their own unique needs. The ADA recommends bringing your child in within […]

We are excited to introduce CariVu. CariVu is a new diagnostic technology used to detect cavities ( dental caries ) or other defects in your teeth. It uses a special light and camera that makes tooth enamel transparent and darkens lesions or other damage in your teeth ( also called 'transluminal caries detection` or 'laser fluorescence' ).

Don't you hate it when you have a mild “toothache” feeling that something is just not quite right in your mouth? Today we’ll discuss symptoms of a few common dental problems, and when to call the dentist.